Fence-post



(No Model.) V V r H. E. LAMBERT.

FENCE POST.

mom Wot N. PETERS. 'Phnlo-l-imopqplmr; Washington. a. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFrc- HENRY E. LAMBERT, OF MOUNT GILEAD, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,684, dated December 13, 1887.

Application filed June 5, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Gilead,in the county of Morrow and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fence-posts; and it consists of the peculiar combination and novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in-the claim.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved foot for fence-posts which will readily penetrate and enter the ground in a perpendicular position or straight line without danger of lateral displacement while it is being driven into the ground, and to provide an improved post to which the wires or a panel can be easily and readily secured, and which shall be very simple, strong, and durable in construction, effective for the purposes designed, and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a fence-post embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved fence-post with the wires connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view with the wires detached from the post. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 00 a: of Fig. 1.

i Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the post from the front side, with a fence-panel and the wires connected thereto. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the foot.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the fence-posts, which are set in the ground at suitable intervals or distances apart; and B, the wires connecting the posts and secured thereto by staples G, to form a fence embodying my invention. The posts A are of peculiar construc- "tion, and made in a single piece of metal for strength and durability. The post is preferably made square or rectangular in form, with its faces made flat, so that a fence panel or rail, B, can bear squarely and firmly against the same, and the rear face of the post is pro- Serial No. 204,245. (No model.)

openings (1. d, and the staple is thereby ar-- ranged in an inclined position, with its legs on opposite sides of the rib orflange D. The

staple bears against the wire B or the panel B of the fence to cause the wire or panel to impinge against the post, and be thereby firmly and securely retained in place, and the free ends or legs of the staple are forced later ally away from each other and clinched against the rear face of the post A bya tool or swageblock, which, however, is notillustrated herein, as it forms the subject-matter of a separate application heretofore filed by me.

' E designates the foot or base of my improved post, which comprises the prongs or feet F, G, and H, which extend or project outwardly from each other at substantially right angles andjoin the post, the legs or prongs F and G being arranged in line with the post proper, and the prong H in line with the strengthening rib or flange D. Each of these prongs is tapered longitudinally and transversely, as shown, so that their lowermost extremities terminate in points at t, andthe inner opposing edges of the angular prongs are curved longitudinally and meet at a common point at z" and form an arch, I. These inner opposing edges, which form the arch, are sharpened or tapered to form cutting-edges, by which the prongs are caused to penetrate the ground readily, and they materially decrease the resistance when the post is driven into the ground. The outer face or edge, j, of each prong of the post lies in a vertical line, and

the side faces of the prongs are also in'straight lines and tapered or inclined, as described;

and at the upper extremity of the prongs,

where they join the'post proper, they are made larger or thicker than the post and itslflange, so that they project outwardly therefrom and form a ledge or rib, K, which determines the depth to which the post is driven into the ground, the arch I lying some distance below the ledge K, and completely concealed from view by the ground.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The posts are driven into the ground ata suitable interval or distance apart. The wires are then properly adjusted and fitted against the post, and the panel or panels B are likewise adjusted, if they are to be employed, and-the staples passed through the openings d d and clinched to the post to secure the wires and panels thereto.-

The fence may be composed of the wires only, or of the panels to the exclusion of the wires; or it may be composed partly of the wires and partly of the panels. When the fence is used and built by railroads, it isfound desirable that the single panel or rail B shown in Fig. 2 shall be employed and arranged at the top of the fence; but this construction can be varied, as above described. The wires and panels are firmly and rigidly secured and held in their proper relative positions, and the staples can be rapidly adjusted and clinched to construct or build the fence in a very short period of time.

In driving the post into the ground the-blows of a sledge-hammer or other implement or machine are delivered on the upper end of the metallic post, and the tapered and pointed prongs readily penetrate the ground, the beveled or sharpened and curved edges that form the arch facilitating and aiding the progress of the post and the vertical faces j causing the prongs to enter the ground in a vertical or perpendicular line.

It will thus be seen that the post is prevented from entering thegroundin an inclined or improper position, but is driven therein in a true and proper position, and that the peculiar form of the prongs facilitates the adjustment of the post and decreases or lessens the resistance between the ground and post when securing the latter in place.

The fence as thus constructed is a very rigid and durable structure, and it can be rapidly and easily built for a comparatively small sum.

By casting the post and its foot in a single piece of metal and drilling the holes (I d therein the post can be manufactured and sold for a small sum, and it is very strong and durable in its construction, there being no detached parts to break or become loose. The post can be quickly driven into the ground with a minimum expenditure of power, and thereby lessens the labor of the operator.

Any preferred number of wires and panels may be employed, and various other slight changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction may be made without departing from theprinciple of my invention.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a foot for fence-posts made substantially square in form and provided with a central socket for the post and having depending prongs at the four angles or corners thereof, each prong being formed integral and extended on two-of the sides of the base, with the outer free edges thereof curved. My invention differs from this device in that I arrange the prongs at an angle to each other and join them togetheron their inner sides only, thereby leaving intermediate spaces between the opposing faces of the prongs,which are filled with earth when the post is driven into the ground. Each prong is furthermore tapered longitudinally, so that it is thicker at its upper than at its lower end, so that the prongs will readily enter the earth, and the outer edge of each prong is made straight and vertical,-while the inner edge thereof is curved longitudinally.

I am also aware that it ,has been proposed to make a fence-post of bar metal substantially T-shaped in cross-section, and to split the lower end of the post longitudinally and along the line of juncture of the sides to form three separate portions, each of which is bent at a right angle to the body of the post to form a horizontal arm and then again bent at right angles to provide a vertical prong, the Sides of the said prong having a series of barbs or teeth and made converging toward each other and the lower end of the prong, which is, however, of uniform thickness throughout. In my improved post I make it substantially T-shaped in cross-section and provide three prongs, each of which is arranged in line with one of the sides of the post, thereby dispensingwith any splitting and bending of the parts. The prongs are furthermore joined together for a portion of their length at their inner meeting sides to afford additional strength and stability to the post, and they are tapered both longitudinally and transversely, so that they are thicker at their upper than at their lower ends, and have a sharpened or cutting edge on their inner curved edges, which enables them to more easily and readily penetrate the earth, the outer sides of the prongs being madestraight or vertical to insure straight driving of the post.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The fence-post described, having a. base or foot comprising a series of vertical fiat prongs radiating from a common center and joined together at their inner sides for a portion of their length, said prongs being arranged at an angle to each other, thereby leaving intermediate spaces between opposing faces of the prongs, in which spaces the earth is received when the base is driven into the ground, the outer sides of the prongs being made vertical to insure straight driving of the post foot or base, and the inner sides being tapered along the edge downward toward the outer sides,

meeting the latter at a point at the lower ends of the prongs, said prongs being also tapered both longitudinally downward and transversely inward, whereby the outer straight sides of the prongs are made blunt and the inner sides are formed with tapering cutting-edges, as set forth. 1

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as m own I have hereto affixed my signature in pres- 

